MA'ILI — More than 50 Wai'anae Coast residents last night prayed for community healing in the aftermath of a Waikele parking lot beating that sparked concerns about racial tension in Hawai'i.

Bishop Soara Tupua Jr. led the congregation of Holy Hill of Zion Full Gospel Church in a prayer for both families involved, and for each other. He said he hoped some good would come from the Feb. 19 incident.

"We know we're all responsible for our actions," he said. "Our actions bring consequences. ... Any one of our families could have been in that situation."

He reminded the congregation that Hawai'i is the land of aloha and should welcome everyone.

Others prayed emotionally for healing and forgiveness.

Gerald Pa'akaula and his 16-year-old son allegedly pummeled Dawn and Andrew Dussell with their fists and feet in the parking lot of Waikele Shopping Center after the Dussells' sport utility vehicle bumped the Pa'akaulas' car.

The Dussells suffered broken noses, concussions and other injuries that left them unconscious. Pa'akaula then made "threatening remarks" to potential witnesses who remained at the scene, according to prosecutors.

The incident has received lots of attention because of the severity of the beating and reports that the 16-year-old shouted "f------ haole" when the altercation began.

The Dussells are Caucasian; the Pa'akaulas are part-Hawaiian.

Joreen Pa'akaula, Gerald Pa'akaula's wife, last night said, "Thank you everyone for coming out. I appreciate the prayers that are being directed towards both families and the community."

Asked if she had anything to say to the Dussells, Joreen Pa'akaula said, "We stand united in praying for healing for them as well."

Pastor Annette Tupua said she hoped others would learn from the incident.

"We always say that sticks and stones will break our bones but words will never hurt us. A simple word as that word hurt both families," she said before the service began.

"Maybe it didn't have to happen the way it did, but it did. So now, the best way we can try to resolve it is spiritually," she said. "I just hope that other families, whether white, whether black, whether Hispanic or Hawaiian, we all learn from this."

Gerald Pa'akaula, a 44-year-old truck driver, was indicted by the O'ahu grand jury on assault charges on Thursday; his son's case is being handled confidentially in Family Court because he is a juvenile.

Pa'akaula's attorney said Thursday that Dawn Dussell had escalated the confrontation by throwing the first blow. Prosecutors have not directly addressed that allegation.

Though some observers have labeled the beating a hate crime, prosecutors contend that the assault stemmed from the fender-bender, rather than hatred of Caucasians.